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by Kari Ann Owen
In February 1993 I was ready for a new golden retriever. Having had one successful experience with a Northern California Golden Retriever Rescue dog, Reggie the Wonder Dog, I knew where to find another golden.
I contacted Ardith, our local NGRR representative. She knew of “Highway,” a beautiful golden retriever then being boarded with a foster family in Vacaville who had rescued the dog from Highway 12, where he had been abandoned. This family had put forth a great effort to find the original owner, paying for advertisements in local media and working with their local animal shelter. Having had no success, they had contacted NGRR. I knew within five minutes of meeting Highway that he was the brightest dog I had ever seen. I took him home with me that day, and named him “Mischa,” after the dancer Mikhail Baryshnikov.
At that time, I had never heard of service dogs. But I had and was still struggling with a sciatic nerve inflammation, and abuse- and grief-related PTSD, and certainly needed a dog like Mischa to physically help me on stairs and to assist me in dealing with my fears of aggressive, impulsive people. Although I am not a professional trainer, I knew enough to assist in creating a glorious career for Mischa. I taught him “corner,” which means “sit in the corner”; “down,” “stay,” “sit-stay” and “heel-heel,” which means “go down the steps with me one at a time.” I also taught Mischa how to go up staircases using “heel-heel.” This did not take long at all, because of Mischa's intelligence and love for me. We had many short but consistent sessions over a period of about six months.
With letters from my physician and an attorney for the disAbled, Mischa became eligible for recognition under the Americans with DisAbilities Act, which legally protects those of us who need canine assistance with mobility and other disabilities. With those letters, Mischa and I have been almost everywhere. Allowed a special BART pass, we have ridden buses and trains. We have attended professional meetings at the Performing Unions building in San Francisco's Financial District; gone to sobriety meetings and several churches; received the Roman Catholic Sacrament of Reconciliation; visited stores, restaurants, movies, plays and dance classes at the University of California, Berkeley.
Mischa was an attendant at my wedding (“On behalf of the dog and myself...”), where Mischa wore his backpack and observed the nuptials from a special place in front of the first pew. He accompanied my husband and myself on our honeymoon.
Not everyone understands about the legality of service dogs: we were once kicked out of a shopping mall. I called our local newspaper immediately, and after the appearance of a story recounting the incident, consulted with an attorney, who obtained a fair settlement for us. Mischa and I are happy to express our deep gratitude to NGRR, without which we would not be together. And we are proud that the contributions of golden retrievers to the health and well-being of disabled people continues to be considerable. We thank NGRR, and hope that if anyone desires a public presentation about service dogs, they will contact Mischa and myself.
We love you, NGRR!
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